SAT writing help?

Question

I've never done great in writing, especially when given a prompt about writing your opinion. I'm not good at organizing my thoughts in such short time and those prompts are so confusing. But I don't think I'm stupid because I'm pretty good at math. Any helpful tips?

Answer 1

I'm the same way. The prompts on the SAT are so vague that you know you could write about either side, or even both. What helped me was I practiced before hand by taking prompts from old SAT tests, and then I looked at the essays they provided as examples. I also made myself choose a side, because otherwise I could spend 10-15 minutes trying to decide which one i wanted to write about. Once I chose a side, I picked my main point and went from there. If it's possible, try to remember to wear a watch so you can time yourself while you're in there. Remember to keep it simple and straight forward, make every sentence meaningful to your prompt. I always went with 3 main points. The main thing that helped me get a higher score is that I tied the conclusion back into the introduction, if that's possible. There are plenty of books that you can buy to practice and there are several prep groups that you can pay for that will help you. The Princeton Review is an excellent one, although it can be pricey, there are several others out there.

Answer 2

practice practice practice

honestly, the content of sat essays isn't really that impt... like just write the most general, cliche thing that comes to your mind. it doesn't really matter. like for a topic about how leaders shape society or something, just settle w/ ghandi, napoleon, and martin luther king jr - everyone's writing about them, so it's not veyr original, but it honestly doesn't matter. just write write write

ps if you're having trouble picking a side, choose the side that the first three examples you think of supports - in these cases, your own opinion doesn't matter - just write as much and as fast as you can.

o and if you don't wanna pay for books, since all you really need are essay prompts, go to barnes and nobles one afternoon and copy down every single practice prompt from every single test prep book in the store, and then do one or two a week.

and, of course, collegeboard.com may help. browse around there.

if all else fails, just bs and write write write - doesn't matter what you write - you only have like 25 minutes... just keep writing and bsing your way through

good luck!

Answer 3

If I recall SAT is timed so forearmed is forewarned. Practice!

Ask each of your family members, one at a time, to give you a topic to write about.... Then write down the topic, time you started, and begin by asking yourself "why is this important to me?" Limit yourself to a max. of 5 points, either pro or con...... and when finished, check your time.

If you are methodical and train your brain to concentrate on the topic at hand, you'll do just fine!!

Good luck!